Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-03-23
PLUNGED 70 DEATH.
4 Crowded Passenger Train Falls
Thrsash : Weak Bridge Near
Boston.
rhirty-6vs Killed, Mostly Women, and
sventy Wounded. Many Fatally
Appalling Scenes.

Appalling Scenes.
Boston special
An accident which equals, II II does not sur.
pass in number OF dead and wounded. the 70.
cent horrible railroad disaster near Hartford,
w.. occurred Monday morning in the suburbs
Of Boston. on the Boston 4 Providence Railroad.
A. the Dedham branch train. which leaves
Dedha1n ct 7 a5 .. m. and 10 due at Boston at
740s .. M. was passing over the Bussey Park
bridge, which crosses South street between
Jamaica Plain. the structure Rave way and
six cars. heavily laden with human beings,
plunged thirty feet TO the roadway beneath.
train remained ON the embanknent, having
crossed the bridge In safety, but they were
wrenched from the rails aud nearly demol.
The train was one Of the largest and heaviest
on the morning list. and, as usual. II was b av.
ny loaded with people going to their work In the
and, ~ 1t -, the names OF the dead will number
81 least twenty. hvs. and perhaps more. II IL
impossible to obtain an absolutely correct &C.
liz Or moro. 81 I tSes. ' x lens. NH nins s ns" fatally .saHn
n twenty-five quite badly hurt. and the re-.
maindsr rscsissd only slight bruises.
their homes, others were taken to D oils,
while others still found temporary shelter in
the residences In tho immediate neighborhood.
l 0As VI ~ u A00J0iity vi tuDUls II INCL
were brought TO the city hospital morguc. but
there were others taken to the depots OF Roslin-
dale. Forest Hill, and Canterbury.
Conductor Tilden was In the third car, which
remained on top OF tie Ombankment, and on the
ground directly underneath where he was stand.
ing when killed 10 q pool Of blood, while half OF
That the horror Of IRE was mot added to the ter
rtblo disaster was due to the ~prOmptness with
which relief was sent. The chemical engine
from Roslindale was at the scene within twenty
minutes after the wreck occurred, brought
BY . letter-carrter who gave an alarm OF
IRE upon observing flames issuing from the
and the hremen then did excellent work in res.
cuiny the injured. The stoves In all the cars
were securely fastened to the floors by iron
bolts and the doors Of the stoves were locked
In only one car did the stoves upset, although
IN one instance . stove was smashed clear
through the roof Of ths car.
heaxtrending. The shrieks Of the injured were
20 loud that they were heard In the residences
N the vicinity: The bodies Of the killed were
horribly mAngled, In some instances their heads
being entirely severed from their bodies, and
many Of the bodies were crushed almost be-
yond recognition. In one place seven bodies
All were badly mAngled. Large numbers OF
women were on the train and many were to be
seen In the ruins. One woman was cut complete
~ In Two. the upper half only being found
Rescue OF tho Wounded.
The engine remained ON the track and the
Engineer. mot stoPpins. TO learn the extent Of the
whence he sent N alarm by telephone 70 the
city. In q short time a corps Of rescuers and
surgeons from the city were at the scene.
The only person known to have been an eye
witness Of the disaster who was not on the train
was J. q. Lennon. y nsh dealer, whose stable
was on the hill Just above the bridge. Lennon
was hofroF.stricken when he saw the train take
rs awful plunge through the bridge. For . mo-
mont, Lennon says, there was perfect quiet,
and then tns cries Of the injured were heard is.
the barn Lennon started for the wreck,
which be reached in . moment. He
climbed into the window Of one Of the
coaches and set to work 70 release those
persons who had been pinned down by the
broken timbsrs. Lennon with his OK released
icur men who we're badly hurt and handed
come to the rescue. He also handed ont the
dead bodies OF two women, one of whom was
nearly ~dscaPitated and had both arms severed
from her body. During all this time, Lennon
says. the shrteks Of the wounded and the groans
Of the dying made . ~pandemonium around him
that was nothing short OF horrible.
In the meantime passengers from the coaches
who had remained on top Of the embankinent,
ard who had escaped serious injury, had Joined
In the work Of rescue As tho dead were re-
moved they were laid In rows on the stone wall,
while the wounded were laid ON cushions, which
were hastily gathered together. Arrangements
we're instantly made for the disposal q both the
been sent from the city within half an hour after
the disaster had occurred. and AZ these convey
started back 70 I'll the 's city, laden snSs WITH wsis d o. 0ne 4
large number OF the injured were taken TO resi-
dences in the vicinity to be cared for. while
others were sent TO the dspots at Forest Hill and
Roslindale.
Scene Of tho Wreck.
The wreck 40 IL lies makes a more appalling
ruin than that Of any recent disaster. Al Deer
Held, White River Junction, and other scenes
OF horror IRE wiped out all the ruins that were
not indestructible, but not 40 this time. There
lfAn tina Uraat trpugh nNar1v 6lla6 with form
twisted. crushed. and splinttred railroad prop.
erty. An adequate description Of the shapeless
Wasi K formed i ths 'T s1sin six are IN IN s sns o nane f Ths
nrst--No: a9o-lies minus it, trucks near the
track. about four hundred feet from the
truck Of t Shiss car that Vent wrong irs. .1 Su. r she
occupants we're not hurt, being only shaken up.
just hack OF this car 10 No. IL, the second ear Of
and its rear was crushed In by the car follow.
ing. Car No 20, the third one Of the train, is on
the embankmsnt. badly demoralized, but re-
s car we're 1sr sf Ssdiy snake shaken l up' Bbas' shsss w IN sh no
serious casualties among them. Tbis car lies
partly on its side about 100 feet from the chasm.
one escaped from this car alive. The bri Sc
entirely gave way before It reached the Inward
site. but the momentum Of the train and the
t ssssC cSssm 8. ' Is d S1%pssas me- esr1 Ssfor y nearly e 1a,c over
che abutment and the body Of the car dashed
against the solid stone wall. The force Of the
B0OCR DuOt tho EOOI IOIW6tU 30 t00t IL Cleared
the chasm md slid along the rails Itself full
length. Tho body Of the car was literally
ground 70 pieces, and the bits Of wood. iron, and
forming the foundation Of the wreck. Those
who examined the wreck could find no distinct
trace In the ruins Of this car which could bs
was the fact that there were plainly nine car
roofs At different points. and IL followed. Of
course. that nine cars had bsen wrecked. though
Il was possible to trace but eight.
Tn cars which lie in the ehssm form q pile
Of wreckage 400 fest long by 100 feet wide. The
road beneath crosses at such . sharp anglo that
site abutment into . general position parallel
With the street and the abutlne nts. Most Of
tho casualties were in cars 81. 50, and 81, re-
train, and the nrst second, ana third Of those
which went into the chssm. Car No. 81 lies In
. heap Of spliuters, with side and roof broken
in9s, but was broken above ths crate.
The nre. however. was extinguished. Car
No. 90 lies parallel to car s. unroofed
and wounded persons were taken from this car,
The stove OF this car remained firmly fixed and
NO firs escaped. Car 81 10 partially demolished.
Many persons wore injured In these oars and but
few were killed. Back Of them 10 the upturned
wreck Of the smoker, only Q corner OF which ~
felI from he smbankmenE. scarcely any Of il
occupants escaped injury. and Policeman Lailor
= one o. two others were killed.
Cause Of the Diaaster.
The bridge where the accident occurred waa
built In July, 1876. i ID ION feet in length and
80 feet in height, and SPAWNED the road, being
curious feature Of the disaster IL found in
the fact that the entire bridge went down with
the wreck. Not . scrap Of iron remained at
tachsd TO the abutmsnts. and but for tho chasm
and the awful wreck beneath there was nothins
10 indicate that y bridge had once spanned ths
abyss. Tn wreck Of the bridge lay under the
debris Of the train, almost completely shut out
from view. Lying by The side Of one Of tho
! eplintered cars was one OF the main iron g;rderQ
| Of the bridge. which showed Z clean new fract-
ure through - entire breadth. This girder wa
cosnpos:a . q swo psrsi h plates Of heavy
iron. and boltsd togsther. The opinion is gen.
erally expressed by those who have personally
inspected the wreck that the breaking Of the
Girdsr was the immediate cause OF the disaster,
| but there 10 much doubt a. to the cause Of the
| b1eAkina Of the gtrdcr.
Among the scientific men Who examined the
\ bridge was Prof. George swain, instructor
Of civil engineering and hydraulics at the insti.
tute o1 technology, and who 10 also y specialist
-